Tradition: Norwegian Mythology
Alternative Names: Kraken, Krake, Hafgufa
Category: Mollusc
The Myth
The Kraken is a gigantic sea monster said to inhabit the waters off the coast of Norway, particularly the Norwegian Sea. It is commonly imagined as an enormous octopus or squid capable of dragging ships and sailors beneath the waves. Its immense size and deadly reputation made it one of the most feared creatures in sailors’ legends. Some accounts describe it as so vast that its appearance could be mistaken for an island or a great mass rising from the ocean, although descriptions of its exact form and size vary.
The Kraken became especially notorious for its supposed ability to attack ships. Sailors feared that the creature might seize a vessel with its powerful tentacles and pull it into the depths. Stories of enormous sea creatures were associated with sightings of giant squid, which can grow to considerable lengths. The Kraken also became connected in some accounts with the hafgufa, a legendary sea monster described in medieval Scandinavian writings as one of the largest creatures inhabiting northern waters. The hafgufa was said to live in the Greenland Sea, and some later writers treated the two monsters as the same being, although this identification remains uncertain.
The Kraken gradually became a familiar figure in European tales of the sea. It appeared in accounts of northern maritime wonders and later inspired depictions of enormous, man-hunting cephalopods in literature. In some medieval descriptions, the hafgufa’s behaviour was more reminiscent of a whale than an octopus, and the creature’s name has been interpreted as meaning something like “sea reeker.” Nevertheless, the Kraken is most strongly associated with the image of a colossal squid or octopus lurking beneath the waves, a terrifying explanation for the mysterious dangers of the open sea.
Sources
“Kraken.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 20, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraken#Mythical_identifications